This invention relates generally to a carrier, and more specifically pertains to a side loading container carrier which incorporates easy opening features that do not detract from the structural strength, and at the same time, provides reinforcement to facilitate its carrage upon return of its empty containers.
Back in the early 1960's the U.S. patent to Wuerthner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,520, issued disclosing a container carrier, of the side loading type, meaning that the various bottom, top, and interconnected end walls would form a tubular wrap upon their connection together, leaving the sides opened, and wherein the beverage containers may be loaded before the side walls were folded into closure. The advantage of such a container carrier are manyfold, but principally its benefits provide for the foldable connection of the outer shell of the container blank as it moves along the carton folding machinery, and thereby easing the carton loading step by providing clear access to its opened sides and into which three or more of the beverage containers could be easily inserted. Hence, the uniqueness of the invention at that time was to allow for both the folding of the container and its loading almost simultaneously upon the same machinery. Further improvements upon the identified container carrier are also shown in the second patent to Weurthner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,546.
Various other containers of this or a related type have likewise been patented during the ensuing years, and such can be seen from U.S. the patent to Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,448; the U.S. patent to Champlin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,356,283; and another patent to Champlin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,902, in addition to the patent to Mahon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,152,688. Furthermore, the U.S. patent to Weiss, U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,322, discloses a carrier for aluminum cans, while other model carriers of various designs are shown in the U.S. patent to Wysocki, U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,377; Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,582; and the U.S. patent to Mahon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,167,214.
Various modifications have been made to the wrap around type of carrier, and such is shown in the U.S. patent to Grayser, U.S. Pat. No. Re. 29,063, wherein an easy opening tear feature is provided that facilitates the removal of the beverage containers, usually beer, from the carrier. While apparently the easy open feature as shown in this U.S. prior art patent is advantageous for attaining that end result, it does minimize the strength of the carrier when it is intended to also be supplementally used for container return purposes. Thus, the current invention is intended to yet adapt the quick opening feature as sought for in some of the prior art disclosed above, but at the same time, retains the interstructutral relationship between the various panels of the carrier that yet assure sufficient reinforcement in the top structure of the carrier, as when beverage containers are being removed, but being further adaptable for modification of its top structure so as to facilitate the reentry and return of the empty containers back to the market.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a wrap around or side loading container carrier that is sufficiently reinforced in its upper structure so as to be significantly strengthened during usage by the customer.
Another object of this invention is to provide a quickly attainable handle means from the top structure of a container carrier to facilitate the return of the empty containers back to the market.
Another object of this invention is to provide for a reinforced carrying means in the upper segment of a beverage carrier.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an easy open tear feature provided to either side of a beverage container carrier that facilitates removal of such containers, without diminishing its structural strength.
Still another object of this invention is to provide means for reinforcing a returnable container carrier.
Other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the summary of this invention, and upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment in view of the drawings.